سیدکمال حاج سیدجوادی

The Sacred Art of Islam has undoubtedly been born with the calligraphy of the Holy Quran. Afterwards، it was completed and evolved with decorating of this magnificent manifest. This process has had great effects on all fields of Islamic Art. In this research، the writer has discussed about the procedure of scribing the Holy Quran in the life time of the Holy Prophet (p. b. u. h) as well as the time of Uthman’s caliphate. Mus’hef of Imam has also been pointed out. It has been confirmed that at the time of the Holy Prophet (p. b. u. h)، the scribers wrote the Holy Quran in a special manner known as Mekky or Madani or Hejazi style. In this essay a few pages of the two remaining manuscripts of the Holy Quran scribed by this style، have been talked about. By analyzing the styles of scribing these two copies، it is pointed out that the words and letters have been arranged and collected in a beautiful order regarding the symmetrical، harmony and balance of the shapes and sizes.

Regarding the importance of theoretical arguments about Islamic Art, a serious and coherence theory of Islamic Art and its philosophical fundamentals is needed more than ever. What historians, Traditionalists and critics present in their works fails to shed light on all aspects of Islamic Art. Lately, there has been published a booklet by Doctor Hassan Bolkhari under the title of “Ghadr: A Fundamental Theory of Art, Architecture, and Beauty in Islamic Civilization”. I’ve studied that booklet and found some of its ideas disputable. Parts of the booklet’s core ideas were previously published in “Mystical Rudiments of Islamic Art and Architecture” by same author. Here I am to discuss some of the basic ideas and concepts of the booklet and provide some insights on them.

Every work of art is perceived and understood in a particular spatial-temporal bed. Although the interpreter has a concrete and tangible experience of facing a work، his understanding of work''s connotation and denotation is predicated on his beliefs، presupposition and concepts regarding that specific artwork. The main question in this article is whether that the influence of such beliefs and presupposition should be let in for interpreting an artwork or they may result in some kind of totalitarianism and dogmatism. To answer the above question some presuppositions and beliefs are studied that have been used for interpretation. One of these is the Pythagorean belief in the cosmic music the influence of which can be seen in the interpretation of many thinkers and prominent figures like Plato، Zarathustra، Rumi and others. The other one is Philosophical doctrines and mystical interpretations such pantheism which is also among the most important presupposition used to interpret an artwork. It will be argued after studying the above presuppositions that interpreter''s attachments، beliefs and presupposition not only don''t make a bed for dogmatism but also provide a condition in which other criticisms and interpretations will be read again and reinterpreted. It will follow that such a condition leads to new understandings and novel interpretive findings.

Regarding the relation between art and myth, in order to express the root of Islamic - Iranian art, myth has been searched through Quranic verses. It is understood from the Quranic and Islamic culture that the concept of “āsatīr-ol-avalīn” (prior myths) contains a negative meaning, lacks approving truth, and has no external or even historical reality. On this basis, any adaptation and comparison of Quranic narratives, teachings and principles with myth is a wrong process. So it is criticized there when the Word of God is called “The Fables of the Ancients or Old World Tales” by polytheists and pagans. In this essay, by analyzing the concept of myth in Islamic tradition and the etymology of this word in Persian and Arabic language, I’ve criticized the speculation which introduces phenomenological view to the myth as a way to understanding myth and divine faith. Scholars such as Eliade and a few of his colleagues believe that religion or myth in religion can be understood by phenomenology. On this basis, phenomenologist in religious studies should think like a believer in myth and from his point of view should try to understand the role and meaning of myth and religion. They believe that religion is a myth that a believer accepts its reality through phenomena and their appearances (without truly understanding their nature and reality). But according to holy verses of Quran and Islamic religious literature, the word “āsatīr-ol-avalīn” implies fables of the ancients which mostly have forged and void contents, and hence using it interchangeably with terms like historia and myth in the west thought is not correct. According to the above statements, by reviewing the Quranic literature about this word and mentioning examples of incorrect comparison of Quranic contents with myth, the phenomenological approach to the myth and religion is criticized. The opinions of those groups who have compared ethics, sacred rites and Quranic ordinances of law with myth have been shown in details. It has also been explained that the foundation of religion is divine. Also by exemplifying, it is said that the phenomenological intellective apprehension of images about myth and the viewpoint of myth hermeneutics has no basis for understanding the unchanging essences of religion.

The most important manifestations of architecture in Islamic world are mosques, through which Iranians have played a special role in depicting splendor, glory, and the beauties of the sacred heaven. The Khorasan School of Architecture, according to which Char Ivan mosque was built in Khorasan, gradually spread out across the Islamic countries and entered Indian subcontinent and Pakistan. During the Mongol dynasty in India, which has the summit of this school in Shahjahan era and is contemporary to the Isfahan School in Iran, a mosque construction is built and entitledWazirkhan which historians name it Khorasan Tomb. In this article we survey the mosque’s historical characteristics and features, using library studies and local sources along with fieldwork study, to show that in this architectural style there is a combination of the Khorasan School and decoration of the Isfahan School. This mosque is also a combination of “mosque-school”, and bazaar and a comprehensive imitation of Imam Reza’s Tomb Complex, Goharshad Mosque, religious schools and their attached bazaar. Regarding all this we’ll find out that this mosque is a symbol of Iranian cultural and artistic influence in Lahore, Pakistan.

To review the usage of the word "Health" in both poetry and prose of Persian Language and Literature. Expressing health words in Persian Masterpieces such as; medical texts, seven Persian prose books and also the poetry works of seven Persian poets.A collection of words relevant to the following subjects such as medicine, treatment, pharmacology, body, health, disease, diet and so on, and have been shown in tables. More than one thousand years ago when medical science was raised in Iran, physicians and scholars such as Avi Cenna both innovated Persian words for medicine and used local idioms, and also they borrowed words from Arabic and Greek languages.These words were divided into two categories; one catergory general words which were used by public and the other was special words for medical scientists.Unfortunately, strange and passive Arabic words were added to the glossary of Persian language. This event happened for entrance of Indian words as well. This is the problem that Persian language has suffered during the passage of time.After a while the addition of French expressions and then English idioms occurred. There should be made a lot of efforts to overcome the problem of dominance of strange words to the Persian language.

To review literature for acient medical text in Persian language. 350 medical books and texts in Persian language were identified and reviewd. Of these, 40 manuscripts were about general health and safety affairs. These further examined to explore the topic. In general there were tow categories of manuscripts:1. Manuscripts that author's name or the date of its publication were known. Topics included individual health, brushing, omblical cord cutting, breast feeding, etc.2. Manuscripts that author's name or the date of its publication were unknown. Topics included eating and drinking, food, water, sence and move, weather, etc. The Old Iranian literature is a very rich source for topics in health and medicine and it deserves further examin.